Come you ladies and you gentlemen and listen to my song
Sing it to you right, but you might think it's wrong
Just a little glimpse of a story I'll tell
'Bout an east coast city that you all know well
It's hard times in the country, livin' down in New York townOld New York city is a friendly old town
From Washington Heights to Harlem on down
There's a-mighty many people an' their millin' all around
They'll kick you when you're up and knock you when you're town
It's hard times in the country, livin' down in New York townWell, the weekend is strong and the rich and the poor
Get there together in roof an' no more
Crowdin' up 'bove and crowdin' down below
And someone disappears, you never even know
And it's hard times from the country, livin' down in New York townIt's a mighty long ways from the Golden Gate
To Rockefeller Plaza n' the Empire State
Mister Empire sits up as high as a bird
And Ol' Mister Rockfeller never says a word
It's hard times from the country, livin' down in New York townWell, it's up in the mornin' tryin' to find a job of work
Stand in one place till your feet begin to hurt
If you got a lot o' money you can make yourself merry
You only got a nickel, it's the Staten Island Ferry
And it's hard times from the country, livin' down in New York townMister Hudson come a-sailin' down the stream
And old Mister Minuet paid for his dream
He bought this city on a one-way track
If I had my way I'd sell it right back
It's hard times from the country, livin' down in New York townI'll take all the smog in California
And every bit of dust in the Oklahoma plains
And the dirt in the caves of the Rocky Mountain mines
It's all much cleaner than the New York kind
It's hard times in the country, livin' down in New York townSo all you newsy people, spread the news around
You've listen to my story, you've listen to my song
You can step on my name, you can try and get me beat
When I leave New York, I'll be standin' on my feet
And it's hard times from the country, livin' down in New York town